


just for a moment

by tokiwas



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, mutual pining if you squint really hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-22 06:50:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16592924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokiwas/pseuds/tokiwas
Summary: a sweet treat and bittersweet feelings





	just for a moment

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from "painful" by homecomings

There’s a limited edition pumpkin candy on sale at the sweets store.

Well, it’s to be expected. It’s Halloween, after all. At least, that was what Kumon and Muku said last weekend, when Juuza went shopping with them and was confused by the amount of pumpkin-flavoured goods being sold. Juuza still doesn’t understand why they put up Halloween decorations so early in the month, but he’s no longer surprised as he makes his purchase for the pumpkin candy.

The shopping district is dressed in orange and black as he walks to the train station. Jack-o-lanterns and fake spiderwebs and all sorts of Halloween goods decorate the shops and streets. Juuza notes a new maple-flavoured drink from a café and makes a mental note to try it the next time he goes into town. For now, though, he’s satisfied with the sweets.

When he reaches home, Omi is the only person in the living room, reading a book. He smiles at Juuza as he walks through the door.

“Welcome home,” he says.

“I’m back,” Juuza replies. “So you had an early schedule as well, Omi-san.”

“Yeah, I did.” Omi puts away the book as Juuza sits down on the couch next to him. “I see you bought some pumpkin candy.”

Juuza looks at the packet in his hands, slightly embarrassed. A year ago he would have tried to hide the sweets, but now he’s learnt that no one in the dorms would judge him for liking sweets. Especially not Omi.

“There’s a lot of pumpkin flavoured stuff around in the shops lately,” he says. He hands a sweet to Omi, who smiles at him in thanks. “Muku and Kumon told me it’s ‘cause Halloween is coming up.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Omi says. He stares at the candy for a while, as if he’s lost in thought, but then he heads off into the kitchen. Juuza can hear him going through the cupboards. “No wonder there was a sale on pumpkins at the grocery store. I bought quite a bit. Although that can’t compare to back when I won the large amount of pumpkins last year.”

Juuza remembers the amount of pumpkin-themed sweets he found in the fridge the previous year, and his mouth waters. “Yeah. The desserts were really good.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” A rattling sound comes from the kitchen. “I suppose we’ll all be participating in the Halloween competition again this year.”

Right, the Halloween festival. The time of the year where everyone dresses up in costumes and competes for candy. Come to think of it, Juuza had collected a lot of candy last year. They were delicious.

“I wonder what we’ll wear for Halloween this year,” Omi muses. Juuza heads into the kitchen and watches Omi measure out flour into a large mixing bowl.

“I dunno. Maybe I’ll be a wolf-man or something,” he suggests.

“Maybe I’ll be Frankenstein's monster,” Omi laughs. “I think people would find that scarier than the mummy costume last year, though.”

Juuza keeps quiet for a while, watching Omi work at the mixing bowl. Whatever Omi is making, it smells sweet and buttery.

“It smells good,” he says, before he can stop himself.

“Thanks,” Omi responds with a grin. “Just the other day, my friend pointed out a baking shop with some interesting ingredients. He’s going to work in a café after graduation, so we exchange baking tips sometimes.”

Graduation. Omi is about to graduate next year. The word reminds Juuza of his own graduation, how Taichi and Tenma were the only people that came up to congratulate him. They had both sported sad faces, and at some point Taichi had suddenly blurted out how much he would miss Juuza not being in the same school as the two of them anymore. Juuza had found that strange, considering that they would still see each other every day.

“What are you going to do after you graduate?” he asks.

“Oh, I don’t know yet,” Omi laughs, placing the mixture into the oven. “Some of my club friends suggested I be a freelance photographer, but I’m still unsure.”

The suggestion doesn’t sound all that bad. Juuza can imagine Omi going around on his bike and taking pictures for weddings and fashion shows. But then again, Omi could also become a cook or a baker. He could even become a full-time actor.

Somehow, the thought of Omi working sends a strange uneasiness worming its way into Juuza’s chest. He had always associated Omi with studying at Yosei University, after all. It was weird to imagine him working full-time. But there’s something else to it as well. Something Juuza doesn’t understand.

“…I think Omi-san will be fine,” he says finally. Omi looks at him in surprise. “I mean, whatever Omi-san chooses to do after graduation. I think you’ll be okay.”

Omi’s eyes soften at his words. Juuza recognises that expression, the one Omi makes every time he mentions his past. But before he can ask what’s wrong, Omi smiles at him.

“Well, I have plenty of time ‘till graduation,” he says. “So I’m in no rush.”

He glances up at the clock and turns towards the kitchen counter.

A sweet smell rises from the oven as Omi washes up. Juuza helps him with the ingredients for dinner, swallowing down the uncertain feeling in his chest. How strange. He only spent a single year in the same university as Omi, and yet the thought of next year knocks him off-balance. The carefree days he spent together with Tsuzuru and Omi at university will eventually come to an end, and even though Tsuzuru will still be there, it just wouldn’t feel the same.

He thinks he finally understands Tenma and Taichi’s sad faces during his own ceremony.

The sound of a plate being placed on the table startles Juuza out of his thoughts, and before he knows it he’s staring at a small cake in the shape of a ghost staring at him. Even though it’s completely covered in white fondant, he can smell the sweet scent of pumpkin.

“What do you think?” Omi asks him. He’s smiling as usual when Juuza looks up from the table. “Since you said all the shops have pumpkin-themed stuff around, I made you a pumpkin cake.”

Juuza blinks in surprise. So it wasn’t the troupe’s teatime snack. Omi was actually making a cake for him. Was it because of what he said earlier? Immediate guilt washes over him.

“No, I wasn’t asking for- I didn’t mean-”

“Go on, eat up,” Omi interrupts him. “You reminded me that I need to start making Halloween themed treats, after all. It’s my thanks for the reminder.”

In a few months, things will be different. Omi will get a job, and they won’t be able to spend as much time together anymore.

The uneasy feeling in his chest finally makes its name known.

“…Thanks.”

Juuza takes a bite of the cake. It tastes delicious, just like all of Omi’s other desserts. Pumpkin and vanilla and a hint of cinnamon, baked carefully by kind hands. Even though Omi is right there, right in front of him, the inevitable graduation hangs over Juuza’s head, and with it brings a loneliness he has never felt before.

He had been so used to being alone that he never understood what it was like to be lonely. But now he knows.

“How is it?” Omi asks him. He has a slightly worried expression on his face. Juuza wonders whether his emotions are showing. Some part of him wants to blurt out the truth, that he’ll be lonely. But graduation is still far away, and they’ll still live in the same dormitory. It would be embarrassing to say it now. Omi might find it weird, the same way Juuza had found it weird during his own graduation.

Maybe he’ll be braver next year. Maybe on the day of Omi’s graduation, he’ll say it, just like how Taichi did. But until then, Juuza will just stick to the easier truth.

“It’s good,” he says, and takes another bite of cake.

**Author's Note:**

> we have been blessed with so much omijuu content recently.... please let it continue @ a3


End file.
